Always be My Little Girl
by fstigtmsb
Summary: Thoughts Charles has about Laura throught out the years.


She'd always been my little girl. Sure I tried to treat her less such as she got older, but in my eyes she'd always be that little girl who'd follow me around the farm and homestead and come by my work after school. The little girl who never wanted to grow up and fall in love, just wanted to stay home and be with family.

But now she was practically a woman. She'd grown up, even fallen in love. Almanzo was a wonderful man and could see how much he cared for and loved my daughter, but I don't think a father is ever truly ready to let his children go.

Things were difficult when Mary got sick and then later went blind. But I was grateful she had found a home in the blind school and even grateful she'd found a wonderful and loving husband in Adam.

It's not that I was ungrateful that Almanzo and Laura had found each other. But of all my children, as much as I love all of them, Laura was the one I connected the most with. Laura was my little girl, and I didn't want to see her older, I wanted to keep her my little girl forever.

When Almanzo had asked for her hand, I wasn't surprised, but I wasn't happy either. Both knew that I had a strict rule that I wanted my daughters to be 18 before they marry and Laura was only 16. Still a child. It took me some time to get my head around the idea of Almanzo being 10 years older. But like I said I knew how much Laura loved him and how much he loved her. At the same time though, I wondered if it was the same kind of love, especially after Almanzo took off when Laura said she was going to wait instead of getting married right away.

It pained me so much to see my daughter in so much pain and depression when no word came from him for weeks. When she finally did run into him in a whole other town, things between them didn't get better. I was sure then that the love he felt for her was not the love she felt for him. And I had a mind to tell him so.

Then I learn what he had been doing for Mary and Adam and the blind school by taking on another job and paying the rest of the rent money that we hadn't been able to meet. How he had gotten serious ill because of it. Houston said that Almanzo did it out of love for not just Laura, but our family and blind children. He cared so deeply for all of us that he couldn't let the chance pass him by.

It was then that I decided that I would let them marry the following year when Laura was 17. I knew that I might regret it later on if one of the other girls wanted to marry before 18. But I could no longer deny them even though now both were willing to wait the two years.

Laura beamed so on her wedding day. It had been a difficult year in waiting and the wedding almost didn't happen. But they were both so happy and I loved both dearly that I was happy that the day had finally come.

When Laura got pregnant I was over joyed. Mary had lost her child in a house fire and couldn't conceive again. Mary also lived so far away. Laura was still close by so the thought of being involved in my grandchild's life put an extra spring in my step.

However, that spring turned into deep concern and worry when Almanzo became seriously ill while Laura was still pregnant. And things became worse. Almanzo and Laura were about to lose the house when Almanzo's stroke left him unable to function. So I took on a railroad job. I'd done it once before long ago so I knew how dangerous it was, but I had to risk it to help my family. Sadly Laura gave birth while I was gone to a beautiful little girl.

When I came home and met Rose for the first time, I thought back to when Laura was born. I looked at Laura, half-pint, she'd always been small, and Rose was a tiny little thing as well. Laura was a beautiful young woman and glowing in motherhood.

It was then that I knew things had to change with Almanzo who had lost the will to get better, even lost the will to live. His sister Eliza Jane had told me that he talked to her once about dying cause he knew that we'd take care of Laura and Rose.

Then the tornado came and now with the loss of her home even Laura had begun to lose her will. I hoped that either Laura or Almanzo would soon snap out of their depression. Thankfully Almanzo soon did doing everything he could as fast as he was able to, to once again to be able to provide and take care of his family.

When Laura found out what Almanzo and I had been doing, building a new home from them she too snapped out her depression.

Soon things seemed to be getting better, but it didn't last long. After hard times Caroline and I decided to look elsewhere to work and live. It was the hardest thing we had to do for a long time, to leave the town and home we had lived in for so and long and had came to love and the people we came to love. But most of all it was hard to leave the Wilders. My daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.

Before I left I asked my best friend Isaiah Edwards to take care of them for me. Laura and him had been close since she was just a little girl. I knew that they'd be in good hands with him.

But before I left and asked Isaiah took look after them, I decided to write Laura a letter. A letter I hoped she'd cherish always. I didn't know how much I'd get to see her now. And leaving her was extremely hard.

_Half-Pint,_

_This is the most difficult letter I've written in all my life and hopefully always will be. I don't expect it to be a long one. Just one I hope you'll read now and then and think of me. Even though you are grown now with a husband and child of your own, you're still my little girl. You always will be no matter where life takes us. You've grown up to be a beautiful woman, a wonderful wife and mother. _

_You are such a joy to have raised and make a man proud to have you as a daughter. So thank you for being my pride and joy. Thank you for being my daughter. I love you, more than you know. Always._

_Pa_

Laura though a grown woman now, she will always be my little girl.

End


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